This invention relates to a recording/reproducing apparatus and a method for controlling equipment to which is connected the recording/reproducing apparatus. More particularly, it relates to a recording/reproducing apparatus having plural memory units and a method for controlling equipment to which is connected the recording/reproducing apparatus.
There has hitherto been provided a recording/reproducing apparatus having a flash memory for storage of speech signals on the file basis. This recording/reproducing apparatus is designed not only to store the speech input to a microphone as speech data in the flash memory but also to store data used for e.g., computer data processing. That is, the recording/reproducing apparatus not only has the speech information recording/reproducing function but also is able to record and store desired data as a recording medium.
Meanwhile, a user wanting to transfer data stored in a flash memory of a recording/reproducing apparatus has to transfer data read from the flash memory to external equipment, such as a data computer, using communication means, for processing, or to transfer the read-out data via an external output unit designed to output the speech. However, this data transfer to the external equipment is a cumbersome operation.
For facilitating data transfer, it may be contemplated to provide a main body unit of the recording/reproducing apparatus with a detachable flash memory and to connect the flash memory detached from the main body unit to a computer.
The recording/reproducing apparatus, from which has been detached the flash memory, and which thus has no flash memory as data storage means, no longer has the function as a data recording/reproducing apparatus. It is not necessarily reasonable to store required data in a removable flash memory provided on the main body unit of the apparatus.
In view of the above-described status of the art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a recording/reproducing apparatus in which it is possible to improve tractability of a recording/reproducing apparatus having plural storage units, such as removable storage units, and to facilitate the operation of transfer processing for data stored in a storage unit of the recording/reproducing apparatus. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling the equipment to which is connected the recording/reproducing apparatus.
For accomplishing the above object, the recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present invention includes plural storage units for storing data and management data for supervising the data, and control means for reading out the respective management data from the respective storage means to generate new management data and handling the respective storage units as one based on the new management data to control data writing and data readout.
The recording/reproducing apparatus writes or reads out data for the respective storage units, based on the management data of the respective storage units, to enable the data to be handled easily by a user not conscious of the distinction between the respective storage units.
Other objects and particular advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the explanation of following embodiments of the invention.